The present invention relates to a process for production of styrene polymers and more particularly to a process for producing styrene polymers in which polymer side chains are mainly in the syndiotactic configuration.
As is well known, substituted vinyl compound polymers can be divided into three groups, atactic, isotactic and syndiotactic, depending on the configuration of substituents (side chains) in the polymers. A number of polymers having the isotactic and atactic configurations have been produced.
In connection with styrene polymers, it is known that when usual radical polymerization initiators are used, almost all of the styrene polymers formed are of the atactic configuration although there can be obtained only a limited number of styrene polymers rich in the syndiotactic configuration, and that when Ziegler type catalysts are used, styrene polymers having the isotactic configuration are obtained. However, styrene polymers of high syndiotactic configuration have not yet been produced by any conventionally used methods; that is, a method whereby styrene polymers of high syndiotactic configuration can be obtained has not been known.